Spurgeon's Sermons

Sermon 1499. The Lessons of the Foot-washing

(No. 1499)

DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, OCTOBER 12, 1879,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God; He rosefrom supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin, andbegan to wash the disciples 'feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." John 13:3-5.

IT seems to me that the true text of this enacted sermon of the foot-washing is to be found in the first verse of the chapter-"Havingloved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." Our Lord washed the feet of His disciples to show thatto the last moment of His communion with them He was full of the deepest and truest love to them and was willing to performthe most menial action for their good. Nor was this all, for we may regard that one condescending act as the pledge and typeof His daily kindness towards all His own which are in the world. Those deeds of love, which the foot-washing sets forth,are continuous among us and are the sure tokens of His abiding love to us.

Our Lord's affection for His people is not a transient passion. He loved them before the earth was. He continues to love themand He always will love them, even when these heavens and this earth shall have passed away. In token of the continuance ofHis love, He has left on record this washing of His disciples' feet, not because He only did it once, but because it is atype of what He is always doing. Even in His Glory He is caring for His saints with that same condescending love which ledHim to wash their feet. And He is acting towards them, spiritually, in the same way.

The love of Christ will assuredly endure all the strain that can ever be put upon it, for at the time when He acted as menialservant to His disciples, His love was enduring and enduring right gloriously, three great trials-any one of which might havebroken it had it not been altogether Omnipotent. For, first, He was about to go away from them. Much of human love needs thepresence of its object for its maintenance. It is, alas, seldom true that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Jesus wasabout to depart out of this world to the Father and, with the exception of one brief interval, He was to walk no more in themidst of His chosen, or sit at table with them.

Out of sight, however, they would not be out of mind. Though He was just about to take the last terrible journey of death,yet He forgot them not, but graciously made them see that He would remember them still. If you will remember the style ofHis going, His thoughtfulness of His friends becomes the more remarkable. He was about to leave them by a cruel and ignominiousdeath and, according to the common conduct of men, it would not have been amazing if He had sought pity and comfort from them-insteadof which He forgot Himself and all the pain, grief and death which lay before Him and spent all His time and strength uponthe comfort and establishment of His followers!

When He knew that the hour was come when He must depart out of the world with unutterable pangs, He still loved His own withan all-absorbing love. There was much in the prospect of His grievous departure which might, for a season, have diverted Histhoughts from them. But they lay so close to the center of His soul that even under such circumstances He washed their feet!

Next, it is to be remembered that our Lord was well aware that one of them had already entertained the idea of betraying Him.There sat one at the table who had held a secret interview with the Pharisees and chief priests-and had taken money as a bribefor his Master's blood. You cannot so dissociate a leading disciple from the rest as not to feel that the whole band was therebydisgraced and the Lord might very well have said, "I will discard My Apostles, for they have betrayed Me." And then you rememberthat those who did not sell Him or betray Him, nevertheless all forsook Him and fled-forsook Him when they ought to have ralliedround Him and have spoken up for Him at the judgment seat.

None of them appeared in answer to the question, "Who shall declare His generation?" Like timid hares, they fled at the firstbark of the dogs. It would not have been amazing, had His been a human love, if He had said, "They are unworthy of Me-theirconfidence dies out when they see My sorrow-they betray Me-they forsake Me, therefore I will let them go and care for themno more." No, but knowing what they were, our Lord took a towel and girded Himself and washed their feet, yes, washed thetraitor's feet and gently handled that heel which had been lifted up against Him-washing from it the dust gathered in itssecret walk upon the traitor's errand!-

"The sight might kings themselves convert, God only could so far submit: Satan is in the traitor's heart, The Lord Most Highis at his feet." This act of tender, considerate affection, performed under such circumstances to men who acted towards Himin such ungenerous style, proves to us that His love will bear the strain of our ill behavior, our lack of fidelity and ourthousand grievous failures. Having loved His own which are in the world, He loves them to the end.

There was a third strain, and a powerful one, too. Our Savior knew that the Father had committed all things into His hands.He knew that there was but a brief interval before He should die and then He would ascend to the Father's right hand and sitthere eternally as God Over All, blessed forevermore! Yet He did not disdain to do a slave's work for His beloved ones. Oftentimescircumstances alter affections. A man grows rich and great and forgets his friends. This we would not suspect of Jesus ifHis had not been a greater change than we mortals can possibly experience. But His was a surpassing accession of glory-frombeing plunged in ignominy and shame He was exalted to receive the homage of angels and the adoration of the whole universe!One would think that in the prospect of such honors, though He loved His own, He would not so love them as to become theirServitor and, all in disarray, stoop down before them, even to their feet, and do the service of a bondsman!

No wonder that Peter raised an objection suggested by reverential awe. Who could, without protest, receive such humble servicefrom such hands? Yet our Lord did this with Heaven's supernal Glory descending on Him! He disrobed Himself, though angelslonged to cast the imperial purple about His shoulders! With all things in His hands, He yet took a towel and wiped the disciples'feet! Beloved, if our Lord's love bore these three strains, we may, like the Apostle, be persuaded that neither death norlife, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any othercreature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

I invite you now, therefore, to see your Savior's enduring and continuing love as set forth to us in this symbolic washingof His disciples' feet and in similar acts of which it is a symbol. I shall ask you to view it, first, as the type of Hiscontinuous love. And secondly, as the example of that love as it should be reflected by His people. May the Holy Spirit beour Interpreter and open to us this choice cabinet of love tokens!

I. First we will look upon this washing of the disciples' feet as THE TYPE OF OUR LORD'S CONTINUOUS LOVE TO US. We will viewit in four lights. First, Christ Jesus still acts as the Host of His people. Has it never struck you how much the life ofChrist with His people lay in intense familiarity with them? How in common things He displayed His brotherhood with them?He began His ministry at a feast at Cana of Galilee, working His first miracle at a wedding. Again and again we find Him eatingwith His disciples. The last thing He did was to sit at supper with them and He still says to His Church, "Behold, I standat the door and knock: if any man open to Me I will enter in and sup with Him and

he with Me."

His own figure for the opening of the new dispensation is a supper-"Blessed is he that shall eat bread at the marriage supperof the Lamb." We do not always view our communion with Christ in this homely light and I fear we forget that the acquaintanceof Christ with His people was one of great intimacy and familiar communion, for they did eat and drink with Him and He withthem. At this time, also, Jesus is the Host of His Church, providing the Gospel Supper and entertaining us right royally.Instead of meat, He gives us His flesh to eat, rarest of dainties and He cries, "My flesh is meat, indeed, and My blood isdrink, indeed."

He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. He satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth isrenewed like the eagles! And, mark you, the Lord is a Host who goes through with His Divine hospitalities and leaves nothingincomplete. In the East the master of the house would wash his guests' feet if they were persons whom he

sought to honor. You remember how Abraham bade the angels turn into his tent and also said to them, "Let a little water, Ipray you, be fetched and wash your feet." Even so our Master entertains us at His table, not as paupers, but as guests, yes,and not as guests of an ordinary kind, but as friends of the highest class, dear to His soul, whose feet He will wash! Hecan truly say of us, "Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honorable and I have loved you." He treats us asdistinguished persons who shall not sit among mean men, but shall have their portion among princes.

This foot-washing, once done, was a fair representation of that honorable entertainment which the King extends to all believingsouls when He bids them come to His banqueting table and drink of the wine which He has mingled. I like to think of the Lordas my Host and of myself as no mere waif and stray, but as a welcome guest to whom He is daily fulfilling all a host's part,granting me all I want, yes, all that I wish for! He Himself gives us honors and comforts us more than could be expected,even, from our most familiar friend. Look, He even washes our feet! What better token need we of His abiding love? Since Hecontinues to entertain His whole Church and treats us all as distinguished visitors, it is clear that He still loves us.

My second rendering of the passage is that He cares for our minor matters with a personal interest. Jesus washed their feetand this showed a very tender and familiar consideration of their little needs. That He should ease their weary hearts I canunderstand. That He should enlighten their clouded brains I can understand. But that He should wash their feet is amazing!A little soil on their feet-will He attend to that? Yes, that He will, and personally, too. He will, Himself, take the basinand the towel and wash their feet! Had they been diseased with leprosy it would seem natural that He should touch them andsay, "Be clean." Or had they been blind or crippled, it would have been probable that He would touch their eyes or heal theirlimbs.

But a mere defilement of their feet is so a small a matter! Would He attend to that? He might have left them to wash one another'sfeet, might He not? Surely He had but to suggest it and they would have cheerfully waited on each other. Peter, at any rate,would have been first to obey and to his Lord's command he would have replied, "Wash them? That I will, with delight!" Butno. The Lord laid aside His own garments and took a towel and He performed the kindly deed for them! Brothers and Sisters,take your little things to Christ! Those trials of which your heart says, "They are too small. Though they prick me like thornsin the flesh and give me pain, yet they are really too trifling for me to mention in prayer."

Not so! The Lord loves us to trust Him thoroughly. This is a token of His love, of His continued affection, that even to thelittle things He will look-even to your smallest problems He will condescend and you may ask Him! Oh, it is bold asking, butyou may do it! You may ask Him to wash your feet, for He will do even that! Do not, I pray you, cause your own love to beput under suspicion through a deficiency in your childlike confidence in your condescending Lord! I confess I have often requiredmore faith to pray about some tiny matter of my own than about a thousand things which concern my Master's Kingdom. And yetwhen faith is broad and large, love knows that all matters which grieve the minds of His servants touch the heart of the Masterand that all which works our good works also His delight. We must believe in Him so much that we can trust each day's careswith Him, believing that He still washes His disciples' feet by attending to their minor needs and grief-

"He overrules all mortal things, And manages our mean affairs. On humble souls the King of kings Bestows His counsels andHis cares."

We will now take a third reading of it. This washing of the disciples' feet means that He provides refreshment for His people.I do not suppose that many here present know what an intense pleasure it is, in extremely hot countries, to have the feetwashed upon coming in after a weary walk. The servant pours forth fresh cool water from a pitcher upon the feet when theyare aching with a long journey and hot with burning heat and dust. The result is delightfully refreshing! Our Lord washedHis disciples' feet, not only because cleansing was desirable, but also for their pleasure and solace. He takes great pleasurein giving joy to His followers. He desires that His joy should be in us that our joy may be full. He does not want us to belike paupers who have to be content with bare necessaries, but to be gentlemen-commoners upon His bounty who shall be servedright royally, like princes of the blood whom even the King, Himself, does not disdain to wait upon.

When does the Lord give us these refreshments? He often does this after a journey-I mean after a severe trial. When, as pilgrimsto Heaven, we have been wearied by the greatness of the way, the Master comes and manifests Himself to us and refreshes us.Sometimes, also, this good cheer comes before the trial, for these disciples were now about to enter upon a very rough road-theywere doomed to travel through the rest of their lives without the personal Presence of their Master and He seems to say, "Beforeyou set out I will wash your feet. A little refreshment of this kind will strengthen you at the start. And when you are furtheron your way, the very remembrance of it will come to you like a cool stream of water fresh from the pitcher." So the Masterwas pleased to refresh them after a journey and before a journey and the refreshment was intended, as I have already said,for their souls' delight. It was a feast at which they sat and He wished them to enjoy everything that could make them happyat His table.

Brethren, I have told you that this foot-washing is a type of our Lord's continuous love to us, a type which is followed byaction like itself and so it is, in this respect, for He is often refreshing us. Have you not tasted of His cordials? We speakfar less of our spiritual delights than we might do, but if we would open our mouths, we could tell of rapturous times, when,though weary and cast down, we have been graciously revived! Sweet promises have been applied to us by our Lord's own hands-likecold water poured upon hot and weary feet-and by this means we have been bathed in rest. A sense of His love has come overus like a dream and yet we were never more awake in our lives! We have been entranced and yet most sober and calm.

Our Lord's love is a dear delight and, when we realize it, the bells of Heaven seem to be ringing close against our ears andchoirs of angels to have come down from Glory to make music in our chambers! At such times we often wonder why we were sogladdened, but when, the next day, an extraordinary trouble sets in, we discover the reason and perceive that we have beenwell nourished that we may go a forty days' journey in the strength of this meat! Yes, we have had those refreshments in thishouse when the Word has been preached, or when some joyful hymn has borne us on its wings to Heaven! Or, best of all, at theCommunion Table! Nor here alone, for in our own quiet chambers and in the night watches the Lord has refreshed our hearts,for He gives songs in the night. These sweet renewals and lifting up are the tokens that, having loved His own, He loves themto the end.

This is the foot-washing all over again, for Christ is still busy at His works of love. Though He lays not aside His garmenttoday, nor comes among us like a Servant, yet even from the highest Throne in Glory He has ways of executing the same purposesof kindness. Still He gives us inward delight and this joy becomes our strength, making us swift as a young roe to run uponHis gracious errands! The weariness which makes the feet heavier is removed by joyful fellowship and so we are washed andrefreshed. We who are His ministers need much of this, that we may be as gazelles let loose, giving goodly words.

Our fourth view of the text is more full and accurate, namely, that Christ continues to guard the purity of His Church, forthough it was not all His meaning, yet by washing their feet He certainly intended their cleansing, for after He had doneit He said, "You are clean: he that is washed is clean every whit." Our Lord watches over the purification of all those whoare His own and this is a great joy to us who love His Church and are concerned for her honor. To see professors defile themselvesis heart-breaking work to loving pastors and our only comfort is that Jesus is quite as jealous of the holiness of His peopleas ever we can be.

Beloved, I live while I see your pure and holy conversation! But when I see impurity, worldliness and evil among you, it cutsme to the heart! And were it not that I know my Lord is watching over the purity of His people, I would gladly lay down anddie. From the occasion which our Lord selected for the foot-washing, it is clear that He would have us seek the special purifyingpower of His Presence during religious ordinances. I really cannot tell at what point of the evening's proceedings our Lordwashed His disciples' feet and, if you read the chapter, you will be somewhat puzzled. It is "before the Passover," yet itis said, "supper being ended," which, I suppose, would be better rendered, "supper being in progress," for after the washingour Lord took a sop, dipped it and gave it to Judas and, therefore, the supper was not over.

Or if one supper may have come to an end, another was just commencing. Was this feast the Passover? Was it the Lord's Supper?Was it the first of the agape, or love feasts, in which the early Church delighted? Which was it? I do not know and I am notmuch concerned to know. The Lord Jesus Christ made the Passover melt into the Lord's Supper so that you cannot tell whereone ends and the other begins! No violent jerk occurred in leaving the lines of the Jewish

dispensation for the Christian-for our Lord's disciples went up to the Temple to pray after the veil was torn in two and thelegal ceremonies had lost their meaning.

There was a gradual sliding of the one economy into the other and, on the memorable night of the washing of the feet, I suspectthat our Master ate and drank with His disciples at a common meal just as the early Christians did when they met togetherat their love feasts-then probably followed the actual Passover celebration, a night before its time- and this gradually dissolvedinto the Lord's Supper of which the cup was "the cup after supper." Anyway, it does not matter much, but it is clear thatwe need our feet washed before we come to His Table, "Let a man examine Himself and so let Him eat of this bread."

We also need our feet washed while we are at His Table, for there is sin in our holiest things and even when we come mostnear to our Lord, we need that He wash us according to that text, "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we havefellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Even when we walk in the lightand have clearest fellowship with God, the Lord Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin! And I am sure we need washingafter supper. When we come away from worship we have need to get alone and cry, "Cleanse me from secret faults. Let my lackof devotion or my coldness in it be forgiven! Let my lack of zeal, my scantiness of faith and the wandering of my heart beall washed away by You, my Lord and Master, for I much need it."

Our Lord is so anxious for the purification of His people that He is frequently giving them a sweet sense that their transgressionsin holy things are put away and thus He seems to say to them, "I have accepted your sacrifice. I have received your prayersand tears and presented them unto My Father. I have washed you and you are clean. Go in peace." This is one of the acts ofHis continuous love, this daily washing of our feet! We must all have this frequent washing by our Lord-it is absolutely necessary.There is a "must" in the case-as we must be born again, so we must be made holy. It would be to our Lord's dishonor to befollowed by disciples who do not walk in integrity and uprightness. As He is, Himself, perfectly holy, He desires to havearound Him a holy people purged from all defilement. He is so anxious that He should have such a people that, sooner thanthey shall not be washed, He will act the part of a Servant and wash their feet Himself.

"Be you clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." You that follow in His footsteps, walk with clean feet. Come not up withthe miry clay still sticking to you, but wash, wash daily and follow your pure Master with pure and cleansed hearts, withcareful and obedient feet, so that all may see that you are the disciples of the Undefiled! His ministers, especially, needthis or the people will never cry," How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings." Brothersand Sisters, pray for us that we may experience this to the highest degree! These constant washings which are the testimonyof Christ's continued love we must all receive. Did He not say to Peter, "If I wash you not, you have no part with Me"? IfJesus does not make you holy, you are not His.

Brother, if you live in sin and love it, you cannot love God! Unless He truly purges your life and makes you to walk in aclean path, you are not His, for He purges His own-such as riot in iniquity prove that they are of their father, the devil,for they do his works. Whom Jesus loves He purifies. He loved His Church and gave Himself for it that He might sanctify andcleanse it. If, then, you are unholy, ungracious, dishonest, unrighteous-how can you say that you belong to His Church? Hewashes the feet of all who are His disciples and if your feet are filthy, you belong not to the faithful band.

This washing must be spiritual-no external form will suffice. Christ washed the feet of Judas with water, but inasmuch asJudas had never been bathed in the laver of regeneration and had never been purged in the fountain of forgiving love, thatwashing which Christ gave to his feet did him no spiritual good! And you, my Friend, may use what external ablutions you willand perform whatever religious ceremonies you please, but unless your spirit has been renewed by the Holy Spirit and yourheart purged in the sight of God, you still have no part nor lot with Christ's disciples! The mercy is that this purification,which is so necessary and which must be of a spiritual kind, is very readily given!

I admire the beauty of the figure in its simple ease. The Scripture does not say that our Master was nailed to the Cross andpoured forth a stream from His heart in order to wash His disciples' feet. No, although the act by which He cleansed themwas very condescending, yet it was not painful or laborious. He laid aside His garments, girded on the towel and

5

took the pitcher and straightway proceeded to wash the disciples' feet. It was easily done and whatever there was upon thefeet was soon removed-it needed no suffering, no dire grief on Jesus' part!

For our first washing from the guilt and condemnation of sin it needed that Jesus should lay down His life and fill the cleansingfountain with atoning blood. But for the later removal of sin, the Lord uses an easy process of love. He does, by His Spirit,speedily cleanse us from iniquity, even as our feet are soon washed. How, readily, therefore, we ought to go to Christ aboutthe purging of our consciences from dead works! I have heard it said that the sinner finds great difficulty in going to Christat first-that is sadly true-but I have also noticed that sometimes there is a difficulty in continuing to go to Him everyday of our lives.

To go as a sinner and get washed from sin needs faith, but it also requires a steady confidence to resort to Jesus under athousand conscious failures and backsliding year after year. I sit down in my chamber and I feel I am a forgiven man- aboutthat I am quite sure and, therefore, I shall never be cast into Hell. But this day I spoke unadvisedly with my lips, or Igrew angry, or I am conscious that I was proud, or I have been frivolous and worldly, or I have been selfish-and at the remembranceof those sins I lose my peace and feel I cannot pray. Communion with God seems gone while these faults stare me in the face!The arch-enemy whispers, "You cannot get back into your former happy state."

At such times let us say to him, "O you enemy, I can and will return into fellowship, for my dear Lord and Master has onlyto take the basin and wash my feet and this He can do right speedily." O my Brothers and Sisters, when a sense of sin revivesupon the conscience, do not be persuaded by unbelief that there is an impossibility of escaping it! Go straight to your Masterand say, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow," and He will cleanse you and once again you shall joy and rejoice in Him!Remember the words of our hymn concerning the fountain of Divine Grace-

"This fountain from guilt not only makes pure, And gives, soon as felt, an Infallible cure. But if guilt removed returns andremains, Its power may be proved again and again."

Mark, however, that this washing must be given us by our Lord Himself. He must first wash our feet before we can wash oneanother's feet. I think I see the Well-Beloved, now, as He pours the pure water on their ankles! Mark how He takes their feetinto His kind and tender hands and washes them clean. And then He wipes them with the towel! He continues to do this to us,even now, in a spiritual sense! It is His own dear love that takes away sin from the conscience so that it does not lingerthere to foul and mar it. Often I think He seems to kiss those feet and say, "Dear child, you are now clean. Watch your footstepsand keep your garments that they be not defiled again. Yet even if they are, I will wash them again, for I still live to cleanseyou and put away your transgressions. I mean, before long, to make you as perfect as Myself, without spot or wrinkle or anysuch thing."

Nor may I leave this point till I bid you mark the condescension of this personal washing, for Abraham did not, himself, washthe angels' feet, but said, "Let a little water be fetched and wash your feet." And Joseph did not personally wash his brother'sfeet, but the steward of his house brought them in and gave them water and they washed their feet! But Jesus does it all Himself.O my Soul, bow down before Him and adore His unparalleled love!

Thus I have shown you that this foot-washing is a symbol of our Redeemer's continuous acts of love. Jesus is always our Hostand, therefore, He washes our feet. He always cares for our little matters and in this sense washes our feet. He is alwaysproviding refreshments for His people in their pilgrimage to Heaven and thus He washes their feet. He is always guarding thepurity of His Church and people-and so, in the fullest sense-He washes their feet.

II. Secondly, we come to practical matters as to ourselves. As THE MODEL OF HIS OWN LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE, our Lord washed theirfeet. The love of the saints is their Lord's love in them, which has filled their vessels to the brim and is now running over.Christ's love is the Sun and our love is the moonlight which we are able to give forth because the Sun has looked upon us.Love is first freely imparted and then plenteously diffused. Jesus says, "The water that I shall give him shall be in hima well of water." And then again, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

What we receive, we impart and the Grace which works in us at the first, before long works by us. Let us look at this foot-washingin reference to ourselves and our duty and office in the midst of our Brethren. We learn, first, that there will always beneed of service in the Church and always need of service in the particular direction of promoting purity. The Apostles were12 strong men-surely they did not require a servant! Yes, they did-they must have a servant! They

could not do without a servant and, therefore, their Lord supplied the vacant place. And now that the Lord is gone, His Churchstill needs servants and servants to wash feet, or else all will go amiss.

On earth the Church will never be so clean that it will have no need of foot-washing. The Church will never be able to dispensewith purifying service till the Lord shall come. You, my Brother and Sister Christian, may never expect to join a Church wherethere will be nothing for you to do-do not even desire such a position of idleness! We shall never get among a community sopure that we shall see no faults in our Brethren and never shall we, ourselves, be so good that they will see no faults inus! Therefore let us render and receive a happy, mutual service in the Church by which the sanctification of one and all willbe promoted. In those words, "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another'sfeet," our Lord speaks as though He would have us reckon upon acting as servants for the benefit of each other. Let us cheerfullyaccept the position!

We see, next, that we are not to advocate the abrogation of such service, or pretend that we have reached a point at whichwe can dispense with it. The stoic would say, "Washing feet? What is the good of it? What need of washing a man's feet? Ifhe needs it, let him wash them himself. The first law of Nature is self-love-let every man see to it himself. What have Ito do with my Brother's feet? Let him wash his own. What has he to do with my feet? Let him mind his own business." That isanti-Christianity! Christianity says, "I am willing that others should help me to be holy and I am also willing to help othersto the same end. I am so imperfect that I am willing that anybody should point out my faults and rebuke me for them. And Iam so anxious that my Brother should be holy that I will lovingly help him to conquer sin."

Sometimes it is more humbling to have your own feet washed than to wash other people's and, therefore, sometimes our pridesays, "You shall never wash my feet." Yet it must be so and pride must sit still like a child and be both washed and wiped.Again, I perceive that to many it is easy to stoop to the poor, but hard to yield to their equals in estate or in ability.I know those who will do a thousand things for a poor man, but they would not do the same service to those of their own rank.You say, "As for that poor soul, I do not mind conceding many points to him, but this other man will crow over me if I yieldto his weakness and he will expect me to do it again! And so I may be thought to be a person of no spirit who can easily beput upon and made a general hack."

That also is the speech of anti-Christianity. True Christianity impels us to render and to accept that service which is mutualamong true saints. He who kindly reminds me of my faults helps me to be better-let me not be angry with him, but value himfor his faithfulness. On the other hand, I must never hint at a failing in a Brother unless I believe that he will be thebetter for it and even then I must do it gently, for I am not to scald my Brethren's feet, but to use cool, sparkling, livingwater in the washing of them. Refining by fire is God's work-refreshing with water is ours. We are to rebuke in love, notin wrath! We are to wipe as well as wet, to comfort as well as correct.

In the world they criticize-that is the business of the public press and it is very much the business of private circles.Hear how gossips say, "Do you see that spot? What a terrible walk that man must have had this morning-look at his feet! Hehas been very much in the mire, as you can see, for there are the traces upon him." That is the world's way. Christ's wayis very different. He says nothing but takes the basin and begins to wash away the stain. Do not judge and condemn, but seekthe restoration and the improvement of the erring. Say to your faulty Brother, "I am very anxious if I may take away yourspots. I would not wish to point them out if I did not feel that I should thereby help you to get rid of

them."

I fear that many professors follow the world's way and indulge in what we call gossip, which is usually slander and misrepresentation,or, in other words, lying! The best of men may have to endure this, but it is a great pity it should be so. Why will peoplefind pleasure in throwing dirty water over their neighbors? Do you make yourself any better by blackening others? Do you expectto rise by pulling others down? Scorn such attempts! An ambition which suggests such evil means is only worthy of a fiend.O you who truly love your Lord, cease from cruel witticisms and spend your strength in humble and loving washings of yourBrothers and Sisters feet and so shall we all become happier, because more like our Lord.

This foot-washing among disciples should be done very cheerfully. Nobody asked the Master to bring the basin-no one wouldhave thought of such a thing! It was His own heart of love that made Him do it, out of spontaneous affection for those whomHe had chosen. Let us also be ready to perform any office for our Brethren, however lowly. If there is a position in the Churchwhere the worker will have to toil hard and get no thanks for it, take it and be pleased with it! If

you can perform a service which few will ever seek to do, themselves, or appreciate when performed by others, yet occupy itwith holy delight! Covet humble work and when you get it, be content to continue in it. There is no great rush after the lowestplaces-you will rob no one by seeking them!

The first place we must have an election for and poll the whole community-but for the very lowest there is no great ambition-thereforeselect such a place and while you will escape envy, you will also gain a quiet conscience. If we were more thoroughly Christ's,we should cheerfully and voluntarily push ourselves into the places of self-sacrifice, counting it our chief honor to serveGod and the Church in ways which are obscure and despised, because in so doing we shall be saved from the Pharisaic spiritwhich desires the praise of man. When we do anything for Christ's people, not only should we do it cheerfully, but thoroughly.How well our Lord took up the Servant's place! He disrobed Himself until He stood prepared for His task in much the same undressas an attendant at the Turkish baths who takes off all his upper garments.

Our Lord was ready to do His work. He put off all that would hinder Him, for He meant real washing and not a mere form. Whenyou are going to serve your Brethren, do it heartily! Give your Lord zealous and earnest service! Strip to your shirt sleeves,if need be, to serve Christ and His people. Do not attempt to play the fine gentleman-is it not far nobler to be a real Christian?Observe how each point of our Lord's procedure is marked by the Evangelist. "He rose from supper and laid aside His garments;and took a towel and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and towipe them with the towel with which He was girded."

He might have left them to wipe themselves, but, no, He must finish His love work! "He wiped them with the towel with whichHe was girded." Whenever you serve a Brother or Sister for Christ's sake, do it thoroughly. Begin it heartily, go on withit steadfastly and do not leave off till the deed is done! If anything is to be done slovenly, let it be something which isdone for you! But Jesus and His people must have the best which our ability can render. Give the saints of God the pick andchoice of your productions-if you wash their feet, wash them well! The foot of the meanest servant of Christ is more honorablethan the head of the greatest emperor that ever wore a diadem! It will be seen in eternity to be a greater honor to have performedthe most menial service for a true child of God than to have been honored and decorated with stars and garters in the serviceof the mightiest monarch. Lay yourselves out for thorough service of your Lord in His people and try to be always doing this.

I feel quite sure of my ground in having said that this foot-washing was meant to be a type of what our Lord is always doing,because He puts it thus-"If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet."Evidently the inference would be, "If I did this but once, you ought to wash one another's feet once." But since the moralis, "You ought always to wash one another's feet," the doctrine is that, in effect, our Lord is always washing the feet ofHis people. Let us carry out the lesson and be always in a servant's attitude among our fellow disciples. Let us always beon bended knee, with the basin and the towel near at hand! Let us always be willing to relieve those who are in need, to restorethose who stumble, to reclaim those who wander and to edify and perfect all the body of Christ as far as our ability willpermit. Be it ours to promote the holiness of our entire fellow Christians at all times!

You say it is the pastor's business to look after the Church. I know it is, but the true pastor's wisdom is to set the membersof the Church looking after one another! "Bear you one another's burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ." In my own case,the pastorate of one person over 5,000 members is ridiculous unless it is exercised by impressing all the members with thenecessity, the duty, the privilege of mutual oversight-each one seeking to do good to the other according as he has opportunity.

Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus who washed His disciples' feet. Love one another, I implore you andin honor prefer one another. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let brotherlylove continue and always so live that when your Master looks down upon you He may joy and rejoice in you, as I trust He doesthis day. May this, our beloved Church, be for many a year a pattern of unity and peace within and of strength and activitywithout, so that a witness may be borne for pure and undefiled religion and a model set up in which shall be seen the handiworkof the Spirit who creates love in the hearts of the saints!

Little children, love one another. Amen.

[This sermon was originally titled, "The Teaching of the Foot-Washing.]

About LivePrayer

LivePrayer was founded for the sole purpose of having a site on the internet where people can go 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for prayer. The entire core mission of LivePrayer is to give those who are hurting... HOPE.